Can you understand me?

Sometimes I stare at the glass and wonder what it would take for it to break. Just one wrong knock and it's all over; chaos and panic on both sides. Such a fragile barrier keeping two universes apart. The dry, and the wet colliding with nothing but sand in between. Just like in the real world I guess…The souls of either cannot survive in the other and we live in delicate balance. I love it here for this reason.

I've been staring through the glass for hours now watching them dart around. There's something so comforting about it. Let all that bothers you float to the surface like the tiny bubbles and then release them as the water finds its level. I think that's what I've always loved about water. It never stops trying to find and hold its shape no matter where it finds itself to be. Whatever motion propels above or below the surface, it will always search for stillness. It's destructive and nurturing of life. Deceptive at its most peaceful, beautiful and deadly at the same time. Always ceaselessly seeking equilibrium and when it finds that stillness, time slows down and silence has never sounded so melodic.

Looking through the glass I wonder if the creatures on the other side truly appreciate how beautiful their own home is. I watch them all, so different, moving amongst themselves, barely even noticing each other, wide eyed and gaping. What goes through their minds? We're so different, both living our lives either side of the glass and yet, do we come from the same spark of life?

As I lay in my wonderment, I noticed one of them starring at me from inside the tank. Me? It was as if it had been listening to my thoughts amongst the crowd and patiently clinging on to every word as it went through my mind. I stared back for some time, but it didn't avert its gaze, waiting for me to continue my train of thought.

I soon realised that it had been there for quite some time, even as observant as I thought I was being, I don't know how long it had been staring. To test it, I moved side to side, only for it to follow my movements all the same. I decided to approach the glass barrier, just the same as others had been doing all day. As I got closer, I saw my own reflection as if I were on the other side of the glass, peering back at me. The stranger came closer too.

"Hello" I said. Feeling immediately foolish and hoping no one heard me. Regardless, it felt strongly as though it understood my greeting. It even appeared to wave a little. "You look as lonely as I do" I said much quieter, I wasn't sure if it was just a thought or if the sound actually escaped my lips. Still though, it seemed to have heard me and I could have sworn it nodded back. "Can you understand me?" my heart raced at the idea "Blink twice if you can." Sure enough, my new friend blinked twice back as requested. With that, the glass seemed to disappear, and the two universes merged as if we breathed the same matter.

"What's it like in there?" I pressed my head against the glass. "Do you ever get bored? The same thing every day... it must get tiresome." I listened for a response. Nothing. I closed my eyes and tried to receive its thoughts as it had done mine... but still nothing. By the time I'd opened my eyes again, the creature had gone, and all that was staring back at me was my own reflection in the glass. Just a fish, staring into an air tank, peering into another universe.